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CONTENTS JUNE 1-14, 2022 • VOL. 52 NO 24
Upfront .......................................7
Eat ............................................ 19
Feature ..................................... 10
Music ........................................ 25
Get Out ..................................... 16
Savage Love ..............................35
Dedicated to Free Times founder Richard H. Siegel (1935-1993) and Scene founder Richard Kabat Publisher Andrew Zelman Editor Vince Grzegorek
Euclid Media Group Chief Executive Officer Andrew Zelman Chief Operating Officers Chris Keating, Michael Wagner VP Digital Services Stacy Volhein Digital Operations Coordinator Jaime Monzon
Editorial Music Editor Jeff Niesel Senior Writer Sam Allard Staff Writer Brett Zelman Dining Editor Douglas Trattner Visual Arts Writer Shawn Mishak Stage Editor Christine Howey Advertising Senior Multimedia Account Executive John Crobar, Shayne Rose Creative Services Creative Director Haimanti Germain Art Director Evan Sult Production Manager Sean Bieri Graphic Designer Aspen Smit Staff Photographer Emanuel Wallace Business Business & Sales Support Specialist Megan Stimac Controller Kristy Cramer Circulation Circulation Director Burt Sender
Copyright The entire contents of Cleveland Scene Magazine are copyright 2020 by Euclid Media Group. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission of the publisher is prohibited. Publisher does not assume any liability for unsolicited manuscripts, materials, or other content. Any submission must include a stamped, self-addressed
www.euclidmediagroup.com National Advertising Voice Media Group 1-800-278-9866, vmgadvertising.com
REWIND: 1980 Perhaps the one and only time the ice follies appeared on the cover of Scene. Maybe not the last though.
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When Scene reached out for additional comment, Weingart said the law in question gave the county commissioners authority to either levy the funds or put the measure before voters. “I would have put it on the ballot,” he said, “just as I did in 1995 with the Browns and the Sin Tax.” Weingart said that he believed the county was set up for success, and that 15 years later, while the Convention Center may be considered a “moderate success,” the Medical Mart has been a disaster. Weingart rejected the idea that his earlier work for the county and his current campaign positions represent a contradiction. “In fact it’s wholly consistent to say that when you’re in a hole, you stop digging,” he said. “You stop funding a project that doesn’t make any sense. This is what people in the private sector do all the time. If you start a project, and it’s not working, you pull the plug and you salvage what you can. That’s not inconsistent.” -Sam Allard
Photo by Erik Drost/FlickrCC
UPFRONT
Punishments Announced in Lake Catholic Swastika Incident
WEINGART LOBBIED FOR LAW CHANGE THAT PAVED WAY FOR MEDICAL MART HE NOW CONDEMNS LEE WEINGART, THE Republican candidate for Cuyahoga County Executive, lobbied the Ohio legislature on behalf of the county to amend state law and allow the county to raise a quarter-percent sales tax to fund the Convention Center and Medical Mart. As a political candidate, Weingart has been a vocal critic of the Medical Mart, known these days as the Global Center for Health Innovation. In recent weeks he has drawn a sharp distinction between himself and Democratic challenger Chris Ronayne in their respective views on the future of the facility. Weingart strenuously opposes a county plan, (currently being fast-tracked), to pump $46 million into the building to tinker with the ballrooms and the escalators and thereby more formally merge it with the adjacent Huntington Convention Center. Weingart believes that these new
expenditures represent a waste of public money — a position shared by the vast majority of the public — and has proposed selling both the Global Center and the Hilton Downtown Hotel to salvage whatever value may be salvaged for county taxpayers. The debt service on both buildings comprises a sizable percentage of the county’s annual budget, and Weingart considers those obligations burdens that taxpayers should no longer have to bear. Ronayne’s views are more qualified. He objects to the $46 million price tag for the Global Center overhaul but shares the view of Destination Cleveland that the convention business is an important economic driver for downtown Cleveland and the region. He has said he would not sell the facility. Cleveland.com county reporter Kaitlin Durbin found on the website of Weingart’s consulting firm, LNE
Group, an apparent contradiction. Though Weingart opposes the Global Center now, it was through his professional advocacy that it was constructed in the first place. “Then-current state law authorized only a convention and visitors bureau to manage the construction of a convention center,” the LNE Group site boasts. “The county engaged LNE Group to change state law to enable county elected officials to raise funds for the new convention center and medical mart through a sales tax increase and to manage the construction of the new facilities.” Weingart was paid $49,000 for his services, cleveland.com reported. In comments to Durbin, Weingart downplayed his involvement. He argued that his lobbying work on the county’s behalf was 15 years ago, in 2007, and that the Medical Mart concept “made all the sense” at the time.
The head coach and assistant coach of the Lake Catholic High School lacrosse team have resigned, and students must participate in programming at the Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage in order to receive their transcripts after a swastika appeared on the calf of a player during a playoff game against Orange High School earlier this month. Lake Catholic, in Mentor, is one of five high schools under the administrative umbrella of the Cleveland Catholic Diocese. Cleveland Central Catholic, Elyria Catholic, Holy Name and VASJ are the others. In a joint statement last week, the Diocese and Lake Catholic released findings from their investigation into the swastika incident. “The swastika is the most notorious symbol of antisemitism and hate more broadly, and its appearance was both shocking and appalling,” the statement read. “The Diocese of Cleveland and Lake Catholic High School condemn anti-Semitism in all forms, and we extend our most sincere apologies to the Orange High School community and to all Jewish and non-Jewish community members alike for the hurt that has resulted from this incident.” According to the investigation, a Lake Catholic player, in an June 1-14, 2022 | clevescene.com |
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UPFRONT attempt to “play a prank” on his teammates, drew a swastika on his hand in eye black and then pressed his hand onto the arms of two of his teammates and the calf of another. The two players with the swastika on their arms noticed the symbols before the game and managed to wash them off. But the player with the symbol on his calf did not see it, according to the investigation, and didn’t remove it until it was brought to his attention during the game. The Lake Catholic players huddled together to remove the swastika during the third quarter, according to an Orange High School student photographer. A letter to the community from Orange High School Superintendent Dr. Lynn Campbell
DIGIT WIDGET 10-0 Unanimous vote at W. 6th Starbucks to certify a union. The location becomes of the first two Starbucks stores in Ohio to unionize.
4 p.m. New curfew at Pinecrest for unaccompanied minors (17 and under), after more than 100 juveniles gathered on the lawn of the Silverspot Cinema earlier this month.
76% Increase in Cuyahoga County Covid cases over past two weeks, (thought hospitalization numbers remain low.)
$500, $1000 Increased fines for dirt bike riding, under City Council’s newly amended legislation to crack down on the practice. Previously, fines were $50 for a first offense and $100 for subsequent offenses.
noted in the wake of the incident that alumni and parents at the game had reported a Lake Catholic fan using racist slurs toward the Orange team. The Diocese’s fact-finding efforts were unable to substantiate these accounts, but they did find that an adult associated with Lake Catholic who was serving as the team’s photographer uttered “coarse and profane language” in interactions with Orange High School fans. That adult has now been banned from participating in official team activities, per the Diocesan statement. The player responsible for the prank has reportedly expressed sorrow for his actions. He was prohibited from participating in Lake Catholic’s commencement activities and will not be allowed to receive his diploma and transcript until he completes a program of community service designed by the school. Additionally, “the entire 2022 lacrosse team will be required to attend a program developed by the Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage in the coming weeks,” the statement read. “The program will include both instructive and restorative elements.” WKYC, Cleveland.com and others reported that Head Lacrosse Coach Chris Hastings, who was not a Lake Catholic teacher and who didn’t arrive at the game until midway through the first quarter, has resigned. The assistant coach has resigned as well. -Sam Allard
Downtown Guerilla Gardeners Exposed! The day after recent Cleveland State University graduate Jack Brancatelli planted a small garden in a sidewalk hole on Euclid Avenue with two of his former CSU classmates and chums, he was walking home to his campus apartment from the Red Line rapid downtown and saw a News Channel 5 camera crew capturing images of his handiwork. In the same rascally spirit with which the garden was planted, Brancatelli approached the crew and asked them what the deal was. Someone had planted the delightful little garden overnight, Brancatelli was told. When he confirmed for Channel 5 that he was a downtown resident, they asked if he’d be willing to be interviewed on camera for the story. He agreed. And so Brancatelli, one of the “guerilla gardeners” himself, appeared as a random bystander in
local news coverage of the unknown green-thumb vigilantes. During the interview, he never tipped his hand, applauding “whoever did this.” Whoever did this was Brancatelli and his roommate Zac Schauer, 2022 and 2021 alums, respectively, of CSU’s Levin College of Urban Affairs, and their friend Vince Lucic, a CSU history major who graduated last year and lives in the Clark-Fulton neighborhood. All three arrived at the site of the Euclid sidewalk hole across from Heinen’s grocery store in the wee hours of Tuesday, May 17. “Monday at midnight seemed like it would be a little too early, a little too active,” Schauer told Scene by phone from Albuquerque, where he’s currently vacationing with Brancatelli before Brancatelli begins a summer job in New Mexico. “So we decided on three a.m. Who’s walking around downtown at 3 a.m.?” The answer, as it turned out, was nobody. With a wheelbarrow and approximately $120 in topsoil and tools from Home Depot, the three buddies carefully planted their garden and ringed it with a small white picket fence. All told, the installation took less than two hours. “Jack and I had been complaining about this hole for months,” Schauer said. “We had joked about things to do with it.” Brancatelli stressed that while both he and Schauer were now wellversed in streetscape design and urban planning, thanks to their CSU degrees, their act was not explicitly political — at least not in the same vein as the guerilla urbanists who installed a speed bump on a residential street last month after an immigrant child was killed by a reckless driver. “I don’t think we were thinking that deeply about it,” Brancatelli said. “At the time, we just thought it’d be kind of a fun, funny thing to do. We’re both urban planning majors and would probably agree with the interpretations that people have come up with [protesting the city’s sluggishness on repairing the public right of way, for example]. It’s not like we’re naive, but we’ve lived downtown for four years now, and we were confident that our neighbors would get a kick out of this.” Schauer and Brancatelli said that they have been overwhelmed with the response, which has been almost universally positive. The garden is regarded as a delight, the craftsmanship as top-hole. “It was one last message of love
for the neighborhood I’ve grown to love,” Brancatelli said. All three would have been content to remain anonymous, they said, but the response has been so over-thetop on social media that they felt it couldn’t hurt to come forward. “I’ll be down here in New Mexico,” Brancatelli said. “But a bunch of people said they’d buy whoever did this beers, and Zac should be able to cash in on those. But honestly there was kind of a mysticism growing around it. And we wanted to say that we’re just some college guys, and this was just a simple, fun thing. Hopefully coming forward keeps it that way.” -Sam Allard
Guitar Stolen in Cleveland from International Musical Artist on its Way Home The valuable and beloved guitar belonging to Grammy-nominated Paraguyan musician Berta Rojas that was stolen from the back of a car in Ohio City in April is now on its way back to its owner. Rojas last week announced that the guitar, worth about $20,000 and crafted by esteemed luthier Michael O’Leary, journeyed, in an unclear number of steps, from the thief to someone who bought the piece without knowing it was stolen. After purchasing it, the buyer, who had intended to give it to a loved one, did some quick online searches given the unique aspects of the guitar, which had a Paraguyan flag attached to it, and found coverage of the theft. They contacted the Cleveland Guitar Society, which was hosting Rojas for a concert in April when the theft occurred, and made arrangements to return the prized instrument to its owner. “I have no way of conveying the emotion I feel knowing that La Rojita did not want to be absent from the release of the album she recorded and that she is returning to me soon to resume our adventures together,” Rojas said in a statement.” Until I see her, and feel her, I won’t know her exact condition, but the photos convey that she is strong, healthy and ready. Thank you, dear friends, for everything; for all your immense love and solidarity. You made me deeply feel that the musical stories we are writing are a part of you. For the space you make for us in your hearts, thank you!” -Vince Grzegorek
scene@clevescene.com @clevelandscene June 1-14, 2022 | clevescene.com |
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The Best Places to
Eat and Drink Outdoors in Northeast Ohio Right Now BY DOUGLAS TRATTNER FOR THOSE OF US WHO LOVE eating and drinking outdoors, there has never been a better time to live in Cleveland. And after enduring two years of Covid, the demand to be outside has never been higher. From sun-soaked beer gardens and buzzy sidewalk patios to secluded garden getaways, these are some of the best places to eat and drink outside this summer. Indicates our top pick in each category.
*
Downtown *Aqua de Luca*
One of Cleveland’s most compelling new seafood-focused restaurants also happens to boast one of downtown’s best patios. After a complete transformation of the former XO Steaks interior, the owners moved on to the outdoors. Less of a sidewalk patio than a tasteful extension of the dining room, this stylish wraparound porch in the heart of the Warehouse District is alfresco dining at its finest.
Bar 32
The views from this cantilevered “rooftop” patio on the 32nd floor of the Hilton Cleveland hotel are nothing short of dramatic. If you’re looking for a place to enjoy craft cocktails and light bites 400 feet above the shoreline, head straight to the top of this shiny tower.
Garden of Eden
Azure Sun Lounge was put to bed to make way for the Garden of Eden, a splashy new rooftop oasis at the Metropolitan at the 9. The 12thfloor height immerses guests in the surrounding skyline as opposed to hovering above it. Easygoing happy hours and early dinners will give way to a DJ-fueled lounge vibe in the evenings.
Nuevo Modern Mexican
Thanks to the good people at Nuevo, Cleveland finally landed a The Fairmount.
worthwhile destination restaurant within walking distance to the attractions at North Coast Harbor. This contemporary glass, wood and steel structure offers plenty of outdoor seating with killer views of the harbor, lake and skyline. Wash down those mod-Mex plates with punchy margaritas.
Indie
When Greenhouse Tavern closed, East 4th Street lost its only public rooftop bar. Now the restaurant is home to Indie, where owners Gabriel Zeller and Julie Mesenburg have buffed up the faded rooftop bar for a new generation. Enjoy frozen drinks and bar snacks while watching the action at street level.
Flats *Whiskey Island Still & Eatery* Before social media ruined the phrase “hidden gem,” Whiskey Island truly earned the designation. The restaurant at this chill lakeside park has been through more name changes than Diddy, but the “No shirt, no shoes, no problem” vibe has been a constant. This grassy, sandy perch essentially functions as a 20-acre restaurant patio, where boaters at the nearby marina mingle with volleyball players and day trippers. Attempts to fancify the food offerings over the years have been roundly and rightly rebuffed by the clientele, who demand little more than cold beer and hot fries. Here,
the music is always live and festive, the crowds robust and the sunsets dreamy.
Merwin’s Wharf
Leave it to the Cleveland Metroparks to transform an used riverside parcel into a casual restaurant worth seeking out. Kayakers can paddle right up to the dockside patio to enjoy a comforting mix of appetizers, salads, sandwiches and entrees. The restaurant also happens to offer a great selection of beers from local breweries.
Lindey’s Lake House
Few Flats East Bank restaurants are as close to the water as Lindey’s Lake House, which offers its patio guests engaging views of all the pleasure and commercial activity up and down the Cuyahoga. To go with that stylish setting is a menu of slightly elevated American staples that offers everything from tacos and lobster rolls to cedar-plank salmon and grilled chops.
Alley Cat
If it’s seafood with a view you’re after, Alley Cat’s double-decker riverside patio is the place to book. We’re absolute suckers for the selection of white wines by the glass, which pair so well with a few dozen oysters on the half. Toss in some peel-and-eat shrimp, smoked fish dip and a lobster roll and lean into summer with a smile.
1330 on the River
This relevant newcomer to the Flats has reworked the former East End property into a stylish waterfront bistro a few steps off the beaten path. Head to the rear of the restaurant, where a small, tasteful patio offers views of the river and enjoy dishes like bacon-wrapped figs, pesto chicken sandwiches and grilled lamb DOUG TRATTNER
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chops with Brussels.
Cleveland Heights Mojo
If there’s a silver lining to the pandemic, it can be found in the form of updated outdoor dining spaces all over town. Mojo (and Lopez before it) has always been the place on Lee Road to enjoy an alfresco meal in a large streetside patio. But recent updates have left the space shinier than ever, giving fans of chef Michael Herschman’s brash world cuisine a refreshed reason to visit.
*The Fairmount*
Some of the toughest outdoor tables to snag on a beautiful evening are located on Fairmount’s chic back patio. In peak summer, this cheery urban oasis can feel like the center of the world. It doesn’t hurt that the restaurant and outdoor bar are run with a kind of precision typically reserved for more upscale establishments. Little is overlooked: the beer list, wine list, craft cocktails, regular menu and daily features give locals and visitors countless reasons to return and linger.
Anatolia Café
Anatolia’s bustling sidewalk patio seems to stretch an entire block. Fenced, partially covered and spruced up with greenery, the tasteful perch is the ideal setting on which to enjoy sunny Mediterranean and Middle Eastern foods. Dishes like thin-sliced doner, mixed grilled kebabs and honey-soaked baklava taste better in the open air.
Gigi’s on Fairmount
For nine years now, people have been rightly singing the praises of this tony wine bar and bistro. Like all great businesses, this one seems to get better with age. And that applies to the tasteful sidewalk patio, where neighbors meet up to share a bottle of wine and those signature mix-andmatch bruschetta boards.
Tavern Company
About 15 years ago, when this property still was home to the Colony, owner Jim Brennan converted a row of brick garages behind the tavern into an indooroutdoor bar with attached patio. These days, that spacious and secluded patio is as busy as ever thanks to an elevated pub menu, neighborly service and a shared history that unites an entire community.
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Van Aken District.
Shaker Heights/ Cleveland *Van Aken District*
Once again, the Van Aken District has converted a portion of the area’s main thoroughfare, Tuttle Road, into a turf-lined pedestrianonly seating area. The sun-soaked outdoor space functions as the patio for Market Hall eateries like Banter, On the Rise, Domo Yakitori, Scorpacciata and Lox, Stock and Brisket. And because the lane is a Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area, diners can stroll with alcoholic beverages purchased at Craft Collective. Throughout the season, the site also plays host to farmers’ markets, makers’ markets and live entertainment.
Felice
It’s no secret that one of Northeast Ohio’s most delightful outdoor dining spaces lives on the ClevelandShaker border. The professionally designed landscape features plenty of comfortable furniture, a woodfired pizza oven, fire pit with seating and that sharp alfresco bar in a
ALLI NICOLE PHOTOGRAPHY
converted outbuilding.
Academy Tavern
The Academy Tavern has been serving “food and liquor since 1939.” This old-school saloon is where locals start their night with a burger and a beer or end it with a dozen wings and a boilermaker. And when the weather finally changes over, everybody takes the footloose action out back where the party goes until close.
Sasa
For 20 years, sushi lovers have been following chef Scott Kim around town to enjoy his deft take on Japanese cuisine. This lively and eclectic izakaya on Shaker Square offers a delightful and unconventional mix of sushi, sashimi, rolls, small plates and noodle bowls. This might be the only place in town where a diner can sit outside and grill tender pieces of beef tenderloin over a searing-hot rock.
Zanzibar Soul Fusion
Zanzibar enjoys one of the roomiest and most appealing sidewalk patios on Shaker Square. Watch the trains go by while you dig into soulful Southern cuisine like fried green tomatoes, shrimp and grits, fried chicken and waffles and mac and
cheese. When you’re trying to decide where to brunch, put this convivial spot at the top of the list.
Little Italy/ University Circle *L’Albatros*
If we had to pick one restaurant patio on which to pitch a tent all summer long, it would be this one. Zack Bruell’s timeless French brasserie has anchored University Circle’s dining scene for 15 years thanks to a combination of exceptional food and top-flight service. Transplant those key features into an impeccable garden setting and you create a regional destination like L’Albatros. You can find us at the small but well-stocked outdoor bar knocking back glasses of chilly Sancerre while we decide between the mussels frites and roasted cod.
Tavern of Little Italy
When TOLI opened seven years ago, it brought something new and different to the neighborhood. In place of another upscale Italian or Italian American trattoria is a casual
pub serving approachable American foods like salads, burgers and flatbreads. TOLI also brought to the ‘hood great alley and rear patios that are a gift to alfresco diners.
Gaurino’s
Little Italy’s cutest secret patio hides behind Cleveland’s oldest restaurant. Around since the Woodrow Wilson administration, this timeless ristorante recently updated and enlarged the back garden to accommodate 100 guests. There, surrounded by blooming vines planted by Vincenzo Gaurino 75 years ago, guests enjoy hearty standards like lasagna, manicotti and veal saltimbocca.
La Dolce Vita
Sitting on La Dolce Vita’s sidewalk patio and watching the neighborhood go by is one of summer’s most enduring and enjoyable pastimes. Owner Terry Tarantino holds court from this prime perch, doling out bon mots alongside delectable platters of sausage-stuffed peppers, cacio e pepe and chicken Marsala.
Nora
This corner bistro has been home to Little Italy stalwarts like Salvatore’s and Il Bacio, but Nora is giving those classics a run for their money thanks to fresh ingredients and inspired cooking. In season, the trim and stylish dining room is complemented by a charming sidewalk patio that looks out to the red-bricked road that is Murray Hill.
old “corner saloon” is a pleasant surprise, so too is the quick stroll into the magical garden patio. If you think those stuffed peppers and long-bone veal chops taste great indoors, just wait until you try them outside.
The Harp
This spacious, comfortable patio is a great place to soak up some sun, take in views of downtown and Lake Erie and tuck into some of Cleveland’s tastiest Irish comfort food. The boxty is straight-up soul food, the beer-battered cod has few rivals and those dreamy corned beef rolls should be frozen, packaged and sold in every grocery store.
Nano Brew
Few patios rise – literally – to the level of this one. Multiple elevations, spaces and nooks combine to create a flexible, functional and attractive outdoor venue. In addition to an open-air beer garden, there’s a generous deck bar, upstairs patio and sidewalk patio, which combine to accommodate up to 200 guests.
Mason’s Creamery
On hot summer nights, Ohio City’s beloved walk-up ice cream parlor is a beehive of family friendly activity. The draw – in addition to the kinship and community – is the small-batch ice cream in fun flavors like ube, French toast and graham cracker. Order your ice cream in a bubble waffle cone and prepare to be blown away.
Ohio City
Tremont
*Larder*
*Proof*
Grab a seat outside Larder, bite into that luscious pastrami sandwich and try to convince us that Hingetown doesn’t feel unique and special. This small slice of Ohio City, populated by best-in-class places like the Transformer Station, Rising Star, Alea and now Amba, offers a lesson in sustainable city planning. Down here, bikes outnumber cars, foot traffic abounds and virtual workers carve time from their day for an unhurried cup of joe with friends. Larder is the glue that binds thanks to soulful foods like matzo ball soup, savory knishes, larger-than-life fried chicken sandwiches and melt-inyour-mouth pastries.
Johnny’s Bar
Fine-dining and patios don’t always mesh, but they do at this celebrated Italian bistro. If crossing the threshold of this 100-year-
One of Tremont’s newest patios also happens to be one of the neighborhood’s best-kept secrets. While Proof’s snazzy subterranean dining room is petite, the 100-seat piazza out back offers plenty of room to spread out under the stars. Where better than a backyard to rip into some smokey barbecue and top-shelf whiskey. A new chef and a refreshed menu have given Tremont’s only barbecue joint a lift going into summer. Diners can still bank on killer Texas-style ‘cue, but now can also look forward to some creative and seasonal specials.
Fat Cats
The views of downtown from Fat Cats’ small but jaunty patio are reason enough to visit this Tremont pioneer. But so too is the globally inspired menu, offering up an eclectic mix of unique and delicious
dishes like steamed buns, grilled octopus, Filipino pancit and adobo fried chicken. Great service and an attractive wine list add to the experience.
Lucky’s Cafe
Chef-owner Heather Haviland wins the Tremont brunch prize thanks to her stellar comfort food. Diners can always count on scratch-made fare built with the best local ingredients. In season, the spacious patio reduces wait times while offering an airy garden setting in which to enjoy breakfast burritos, vanilla bean waffles, and biscuits and gravy.
Leavened
A scattering of sidewalk tables offers neighbors of this heavenly Tremont bakeshop a quiet place to start their day. Alongside steaming cups of Duck Rabbit coffee, patrons enjoy an ever-shifting selection of scones, croissants, Danishes and cinnamon buns. Grab a sourdough or focaccia to take home.
South Side
Everything is oversized at the South Side: the menu, the portions and the patio. This Tremont mainstay is great for large groups because the corner patio is huge, the menu has something for every appetite and the kitchen hits homeruns with every plate. This is also where you’ll find one of the busiest brunches in town.
Detroit Shoreway All Saints Public House
All Saints inherited one of Cleveland’s most celebrated patios and managed to improve almost every aspect of it. Beneath a canopy of mature trees lies a picturesque landscape with an outdoor bar, water features and comfortable furniture. The menu is loaded with well-built items like Cubanos, beer-battered fish and chips and double-bone pork chops.
*Luxe Kitchen*
Luxe’s patio gets no shortage of love from local diners for a variety of reasons, not the least of which are the zippy cocktails springing from the alfresco bar. We love the lush greenery, generous umbrellas, occasional live music and dog-friendly vibe, but it’s the food that separates this patio from its brethren. The broad ItalianMediterranean menu is packed with compelling dishes that will appeal to vegans and meat-eaters alike. Many are built for sharing alongside a
bottle of wine. Tying it all together is a dedicated, professional staff that genuinely seems to care.
Astoria Café and Market
Everything that Astoria manages to excel at indoors – food, service, setting – carries over to the charming side patio. Wedged between two buildings, the attractive alfresco dining room and bar thrums with positive vibes. Brunch here is unbeatable, but so too is lunch, happy hour and dinner.
Toast
Don’t look to Toast to supply the neighborhood’s largest or most glamorous patio. But size doesn’t matter when it comes to pleasure, which is dished up in the form of exceptional cocktails, interesting wines and a menu just large enough to scratch most itches.
Local West
If you don’t live nearby, you might not be familiar with this exceptional sandwich shop. The combinations are inspired, the ingredients second to none and the portions border on aggressive. Out front is sun-soaked patio, where diners devour pressed Cubanos, salmon BLTs and one the city’s best Italian beef sammies.
Lakewood *Lakewood Truck Park*
Lakewood Truck Park is a 12,000-square-foot playground for adults. The prime corner property goes and goes, with tons of seating at picnic tables, around firepits and at indoor and outdoor bars. Keeping everybody well-fed is a rotating battalion of food trucks that keep people coming back day after day and night after night to try something fresh and delicious.
Georgetown
Step off busy Detroit Avenue, stroll through the wrought-iron gate and you enter the secluded courtyard patio at Georgetown. From the gravel paths and twinkling lights to the towering trees and lush undergrowth, this quiet spot is always in high demand. The extensive menu offers scores of tempting small plates and mains.
Dinerbar
We never expected to recover from the loss of the Diner on Clifton, but owner Perry Drosos pulled a rabbit out of the hat with Dinerbar. This gleaming “modern American diner” just steps from the original is better June 1-14, 2022 | clevescene.com |
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in all regards. Key new features include a full bar, updated menu and tidy front patio on which to enjoy breakfast, lunch and dinner classics.
cocktail bar. This summer, visitors can order what they want and drink it where they want.
Breweries
Hola Tacos
Located in a former walk-up ice cream shop, Hola essentially is a patio-only operation (with some enclosed dining space). It’s hard to pass up the cheesy, crispy birria tacos, but the quesabirria tacos slap as well. Wash it all down with an icecold Jarritos soda.
Hofbräuhaus
Relish an authentic sliver of Munich on one of Ohio’s largest beer gardens. Newly improved with covered seating areas, this sprawling beer-soaked oasis is always at the ready for groups of any size. Outside also happens to offer a welcome escape from the occasionally rowdy shotski snorting hordes inside.
Buckeye Beer Engine
In this business, the only way to make it to your 15th birthday is by doing practically everything right. Here, that means pairing some of the best bar food in Lakewood with an exceptional craft beer list with gracious service. If you love a great burger, you likely already know about the ones served inside and outside this saloon.
Best of the ‘Burbs *JoJo’s Bar*
As he did at 17 River Grille, the former Jekyll’s Kitchen space across the street, Rick Doody has done at JoJo’s Bar, the former Gamekeeper’s Tavern and Bull and Bird property. What had long been considered Chagrin Falls’ most picturesque patio is now one of Northeast Ohio’s most dramatic outdoor dining spaces. The completely transformed space features new flooring, furniture, lighting and hardscaping. Massive umbrellas, dense plantings and a wood-burning fireplace join an outdoor bar and kitchen preparing wood-fired specials.
Cru
If you’ve dined at Cru, the elegant French American restaurant in Moreland Hills, then you know that no expense was spared in the construction. That same ethos continued when creating the outdoor dining spaces. We’re loathe even to label the space as a “patio” because the meticulous column-lined peristyle is – like everything here – in a league of its own.
Wine Bar Rocky River
Like a fine wine, this Rocky River hideaway continues to improve with age. In warm weather or cold, crowds descend upon this seasoned wine bar – and for good reason. The small plates and wine pours transform a simple happy hour meetup into a festive occasion. Better still, take that party outdoors to the
Forest City Brewery
Cru.
rambling patio that boasts genuine wine-country appeal.
Tinkers Creek Road Tavern There are a few picnic tables out front of this historic roadside tavern, but the trophy seats are out back. There, a patio is perched a stone’s toss from the rushing waters of the namesake creek, which feeds in the mighty Cuyahoga. Diners are immersed in a pastoral landscape while enjoying a casual American menu that includes top-notch barbecue.
Chez Francois
Picture yourself easing into the slips next to this rightly famous bistro in your freshly varnished runabout. The Vermilion River serves as an elegant backdrop for a stellar meal starring the same fine French food as indoors, but in a more casual and informal environment. Leave the jacket and tie at home and savor the good life.
Wine/Cocktails Porco Lounge and Tiki Room
There’s only one way to improve the tropical drinks from this legendary Ohio City hideout and that’s by sipping them outside under the sun and stars. The summertime vibes are alive and well on this colorful garden patio. If you’re feeling particularly celebratory, order the Botany Bay, a whole barrel of punch for you and your mates.
Velvet Tango Room
For many years, the English-style
CHRIS OPPEWALL
garden patio behind Velvet Tango Room was reserved for the privileged few who managed to gain access to the famous “back room.” These days, any group can enjoy the ivycovered space with its own mini putting green simply by making a reservation. During the week, all guests are invited to take their cocktails back to that charming urban allotment.
Flight
It’s officially rose season, and when it comes to exploring the fresh crop of summer sippers, there are few better places than Flight. Located in buzzy Gordon Square, this generously proportioned patio is a welcoming perch to sip varietals from around the globe. Order a flight, find a new favorite, and buy a bottle to go.
Cloak and Dagger
Cloak and Dagger is a serious cocktail bar disguised as a vegan restaurant. The latest seasonal drinks menu is filled with smashing summer elixirs that guests can enjoy steps from Tremont’s Lincoln Park. Pair the bar’s creative spin on a classic Pimm’s Cup with savory meatfree snacks from the kitchen.
*Spotted Owl*
Last year, Covid forced the temporary closure of Spotted Owl as we knew it, but it birthed an entirely new alfresco experience dubbed Twin Palms. This year, cocktail lovers will be getting a “best of both worlds” situation. The spacious brick wallensconced greenspace home to Twin Palms will be open to guests once again, but so too will the celebrated
Forest City doesn’t get the same level of attention as some of the bigger breweries in town, but this leafy beer garden is increasingly on people’s radar. Located in Duck Island, the shady, mulch-strewn hideout is a great place to chill with friends and pets while sampling brewmaster Matt Smedley’s small-batch brews.
BrewDog
We must tip our caps to this Scotlandbased brewery for transforming a desolate patch on the Scranton Peninsula into one of the city’s most impressive riverside beer gardens. The surrounding city, bridge and water views are breathtaking, the beer selection pairs house cult faves with guest locals, and the food is surprisingly praise-worthy.
Boss Dog Brewing
Brothers Josh and Jason Sweet have settled into a lovely groove at this Cleveland Heights watering hole. After converting the former Lemon Grass restaurant into a contemporary brewpub, they went to work on the exterior. Today, that spacious rear patio is one of Lee Road’s best alfresco bars.
*Twin Oast Brewing*
Even if you’d rather drink White Claw than craft beer, this spectacular Catawba Island destination should be a part of your summer travel plans. Like many of the best destination breweries, this one is set on a majestic sweep of land that provides guests with plenty of room to roam. The 60-acre property is dotted with fruit orchards, flower gardens, water features and endless lawn. This retreat is home to weekly, monthly and annual events that are as much a draw as the beer.
scene@clevescene.com t@clevelandscene June 1-14, 2022 | clevescene.com |
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WED 06/01 Waitress Grammy nominee Sara Bareilles contributes the songs to Waitress, a musical based on a book by acclaimed screenwriter Jessie Nelson (I Am Sam) and directed by Tony-winner Diane Paulus (Pippin, Finding Neverland). The action centers on Jenna, a waitress and pie maker who aspires to find a way out of the small town where she lives with her unloving husband. She finds just that when she participates in a baking contest and meets the town’s new doctor. Tonight’s performance takes place at 7:30 at the Hanna Theatre. The play runs through June 26. 2067 East 14th St., 216-241-6000, playhousesquare.org.
THU 06/02 Hari Kondabolu Hari Kondabolu, a comedian who likes to joke about his ethnic background and the way people always ask him where he’s from, has been called “one of the brightest and most politically engaged young performers in New York,” and Kondabolu, who originally worked as a human rights organizer in Seattle, got rave reviews for his debut album, Waiting For 2042. He was also a writer and correspondent for the Chris Rock-produced show Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell. He performs at 7 tonight at Hilarities, where he has shows scheduled through Saturday. Check the venue’s website for more info. 2035 East Fourth St., 216-241-7425, pickwickandfrolic.com.
FRI 06/03 Kenmore First Fridays Kenmore Neighborhood Alliance, Akron Civic Commons and the Rotary Club of Akron have just announced the return of Kenmore First Fridays to the historic Kenmore Boulevard business district in Akron. Things kick off today with live music from the honky-tonk group the Shootouts, an Akron band whose third album, Stampede, will be produced by 10-time Grammy winner Ray Benson. The Akronauts will also perform, and additional live music will be programmed by Akron
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Everything to do in Cleveland for the next two weeks Hari Kondabolu comes to Hilarities. See: Thursday, June 2. Courtesy of Right On! PR
GET OUT
Recording Company and the youthbased nonprofit First Glance’s hiphop program. The free event runs from 6 to 9 p.m. and also features vendors, family activities, food trucks and an outdoor beer garden with a rotating cast of breweries that includes HiHo Brewing Company, Lock 15 Brewing Company and Thirsty Dog Brewing Co. betterkenmore.org.
SAT 06/04 Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Concert Prominent Black composers such as Dolores White, Mary D. Watkins, Carlos Simon, Brian Raphael Nabors, William Grant Still and Samuel Coleridge-Taylor will be featured in this program that concludes with James Weldon Johnson and J. Rosamond Johnson’s hymn “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” The concert begins at 7 p.m. at Severance Music Center. Admission is free, but tickets must be obtained in advance. If you don’t have a ticket, note that the concert will be broadcast live on 90.3 WCPN, on WCLV Classical 104.9 and on ideastream.org. 11001 Euclid Ave., 216-231-1111, clevelandorchestra.com.
SUN 06/05 Angelo Tsarouchas A big husky looking fella that looks like he came out of an episode of The Sopranos, Angelo Tsarouchas isn’t afraid to make fun of his appearance, especially when it comes to his weight. Jokes about how he likes to eat are a big part of his routine; if you like a good fat joke, Tsarouchas is your guy. He says things like, “I don’t know why I’m fat; all I had was an apple… an apple in a pig’s mouth.” He talks about the one time his mother told him to see his doctor to get a patch to lose weight because she saw it on Oprah, and the doctor told him, “Sure, it fits right over your damn mouth; drink some water and walk, you fat bastard.” Tsarouchas also pokes fun at his Greek culture and what it was like growing up in Canada, and his in-your-face attitude should make for a good show. He performs tonight at 7 at Hilarities. Check the website for more info., $17. 2035 East Fourth St., 216-241-7425, pickwickandfrolic.com.
MON 06/06 Guardians vs. Texas Rangers The Cleveland Guardians take on the Texas Rangers, who got off to a bad start this season and appear headed for another long season, for the first time this year as a three-game series at Progressive Field begins with tonight’s game. First pitch is at 7:10 p.m. Consult the Guardians’ website for more info. 2401 Ontario St., 216-420-4487, mlb.com/guardians.
TUE 06/07 Lyrical Rhythms Open Mic and Chill This long-running open mic night allows some of the city’s best rappers and poets to strut their stuff. The
event begins at 8 with a comedy session dubbed 2 Drinks & a Joke with host Ant Morrow. The open mic performances begin at 10 p.m. Tickets cost $5 in advance, $10 at the door., $5. 2785 Euclid Heights Blvd., Cleveland Heights, 216-932-1966, bsideliquorlounge.com.
WED 06/08 Walnut Wednesday Walnut Wednesday is one of summer’s great traditions. Today from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Perk Plaza at Chester Commons — at East 12th and Walnut streets — food trucks gather to serve up lunch to area residents and employees. Follow the Downtown Cleveland Alliance on Facebook for weekly updates on
vendors, entertainment offerings and more. The series continues through Sept. 7. Admission is free, but the food will cost you. downtowncleveland.com.
THU 06/09 Masked Singer National Tour The live show based on the popular TV show, The Masked Singer will feature celebrity guest hosts from the TV show as well as one local celebrity at your hometown show in a top-secret disguise. The audience will attempt to decipher the clues to guess the identity until the local celebrity is unmasked at the end of the night. The evening will feature fan-favorite masked characters from the TV show. The event begins tonight at 7:30. Check the venue’s website for more info. 198 Hill St., Akron, 330-972-7570, ejthomashall.com.
FRI 06/10 The Dancing Wheels Company Presents: Beyond Barriers, Boundaries & Belief Now in its 41st season, the Dancing Wheels Company is back on the road with its latest production, Beyond Barriers, Boundaries & Belief! a gala performance like no other. Two additional physically integrated dance companies, Karen Peterson Dance and Heidi Latsky Dance, will join the group for tonight’s performance that takes place at 8 at the Allen Theatre. The concert will feature three world premieres by choreographers Brian Murphy, Mark Tomasic, and the fabled Donald Byrd. 1407 Euclid Ave., 216-241-6000, playhousesquare.org.
SAT 06/11 Pride Martian 5K This 5K event takes place today outside Platform Beer Co. and is named for Pride Martian, a Pridethemed sour ale with summery hints of watermelon, cherry and pineapple. Participants are encouraged to wear their flashiest, most unique Pride-related ensembles or their finest futuristic Martian attire. The winning costume will score a $250 Platform Beer Co. gift card. All participants will receive a race shirt and Platform Beer Co. brew at the post-race party. A portion of
proceeds from every 5k registration fee will benefit the LGBT Community Center of Greater Cleveland, which offers programming, events and services to Northeast Ohio’s LGBTQ+ community. The race starts from Platform Beer Company at 9 a.m. Consult the brewery’s website for more details. 4125 Lorain Ave., 216-202-1386, facebook.com/platformbeers.
SUN 06/12 Crocker Park Block Party This annual event at Crocker Park begins at 9:30 a.m. with the Crocker Bark 5K and 1-Mile walk. Then, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., attendees can enjoy the Crocker Park Block Party all throughout Crocker Park. There will be meet and greets with Westlake Police Department law enforcement officers, SWAT, Bomb Unit, and University Hospital, K-9 demonstrations, live music, a chalk zone and face painting. Admission is free. 189 Crocker Park Blvd., Westlake, crockerpark.com.
THURSDAY, JUNE 2
FRIDAY, JUNE 3
FREE Salsa Lessons
LAREDO
WITH VIVA DANCE STUDIO 6-7PM SAMMY DELEON Y SU ORQUESTRA 7-10PM
7-11PM
SATURDAY, JUNE 4
SATURDAY, JUNE 4
FOLLOW THE SUN
BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY
SUNDAY, JUNE 5
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 8
DISCO INFERNO
FUNKOLOGY
THURSDAY, JUNE 9
FRIDAY, JUNE 10
ANTHONY LOVANO
FACTION
SATURDAY, JUNE 11
SATURDAY, JUNE 11
1-5PM
7-11PM QUEEN TRIBUTE
MON 06/13 Vegan Monday Each Monday, the Winchester chef puts together a special vegan menu featuring items such as comfort burgers, Philly burgers and peach cobbler. The kitchen opens up at 4 p.m. and stays open until midnight. Check the website for more info. 12112 Madison Ave., Lakewood, 216-600-5338, facebook.com/ TheWinchesterMusicTavern.
TUE 06/14 My Fair Lady Featuring classic songs as “I Could Have Danced All Night,” “The Rain in Spain,” “Wouldn’t It Be Loverly” and “On the Street Where You Live,” My Fair Lady, a musical about a young flower seller and a linguistics professor arrives in town for an extended run at Playhouse Square. Tonight’s performance takes place at 7:30 at the State Theatre, where performances continue through June 26. 1519 Euclid Ave., 216-241-6000, playhousesquare.org.
2-6PM
6-10PM
RAGGED GLORY
6-10PM
7-11PM
DIAMOND PROJECT
1-5PM NEIL YOUNG TRIBUTE
7-11PM NEIL DIAMOND TRIBUTE
SUNDAY, JUNE 12
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15
SUMRADA
BARCODE
2-6PM
6-10PM
scene@clevescene.com t@clevelandscene June 1-14, 2022 | clevescene.com |
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Photo by Douglas Trattner
EAT
FIRST LOOK
Bright Side to open in former Bar Cento and Bier Markt space on June 8 By Douglas Trattner “BRIGHT SIDE IS LITERALLY a bar-forward concept,” says Sam McNulty. “Bringing the energy to the front of the space was the primary design focus. From there it was about doing a 180-degree turn from this dimly lit, moody space to the Bright Side.” It’s been 17 and 15 years, respectively, since McNulty and co-founder Mark Priemer opened Bier Markt and Bar Cento in Ohio City. This past October, the partners announced that they were closing both venues to make way for something new. On June 8, they will formally introduce Bright Side to the neighborhood. The main design objective, according to the partners, was to flip pretty much everything about the former space on its head. “There were times you would walk by – and we had two great bars, Bier Markt and Bar Cento – but until
you committed and walked in, you would never even know they were back there,” explains Priemer. Those bars and restaurants used to exist in the rear of the space, behind a large, quiet seating area that offered few clues about what was going on in back. But now, a glass façade opens up to reveal a 44-seat island bar that begins just steps from the sidewalk. In stark contrast to the dimly lit wine bar and Belgian beer hall, Bright Side is bedazzled with gold penny tile, flaming pastels, sparkling tabletop lights and rose gold mirror balls. Those elements join 110-year-old historical elements such as the tin ceiling, art deco railings and refurbished wood floors. In addition to the large central bar with pearlescent bartop, there are high-top tables, communal tables and large booths. A small
dining room in the rear of the space features wood-slat walls that offer a modicum of privacy while still connecting diners with the action in the main hall. All told, there is room for 220 guests. The original Bar Cento kitchen remains largely as is, though with new equipment and layout. There is an expanded chef’s counter offering some of the best seats in the house. In that kitchen will be the powerhouse tag team of chefpartners Andrew Bower and Steve Schimoler, who marks his return to Ohio City. Together, the chefs have crafted an entirely new menu of creative comfort food made with healthy, local ingredients. Well, almost entirely new. “The Sunnyside pizza and frites are coming back,” McNulty concedes. “We weren’t going to, but I can’t tell you how many people have been begging for them.”
The Sunnyside – along with four other pies – will now be naturally leavened. They join “table snacks” like clams with fermented black bean sauce and grilled sourdough, Old Bay-poached shrimp cocktail, plantain chips and dips, and those unforgettable duck fat-fried potatoes with rosemary and garlic. The menu features several items geared to vegans, vegetarians and diners who just crave something fresh, wholesome and delicious. There are creative salads, including a soft wedge with roasted tomatoes and green goddess dressing, alongside a relish board loaded with fresh vegetables, fermented vegetables, pickled vegetables and vegan ranch dip. Two house-made pastas, cacio e pepe gnocchi and a seasonal bucatini, join entrees like veggie lasagna, whole roasted cauliflower with ras el hanout, a smoked half chicken, grilled grass-fed Ohio steak and a whole grilled fish with gingershallot sauce. To drink there are 16 craft beers (12 from Market Garden, four rotating locals), cocktails and a Champagne-heavy wine list with other global gems. Despite changing dining trends that favor fast-casual, Bright Side is doubling down on the full-service, sit-down model of business that has served them well for all these years. “We’re looking forward, not back,” says McNulty. “After two years of social distancing, the Bright Side will be the opposite of that; we want to bring people together. People are tired of ordering food on their phones or staying at home watching Netflix.” It’s been nearly two decades since McNulty and Priemer took a chance on an up-and-coming neighborhood that many people would rather avoid than visit. By investing in places like Bier Markt, Bar Cento, Market Garden and Nano, they helped usher in a wave of neighborhood transformation. “We were part of a sea change 19 years ago and I can sense there’s another paradigm shift happening with all these new restaurants,” McNulty says. “People want to see new and fresh concepts – and quite frankly, we are excited to do something fresh and to write a new story going forward.”
dtrattner@clevescene.com t@dougtrattner June 1-14, 2022 | clevescene.com |
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Tartines from Rood Cafe. Photo by Brian Ruthsatz
EAT BITES
Rood in Lakewood to launch Cafe Rood, a full-service ‘morning cafe’ By Douglas Trattner IN MARCH OF 2020, ROOD (17001 Madison Ave., 216-7124506) was just hitting its stride. The unique slider-and-pie shop in Lakewood was attracting local and regional attention for its food, setting and convivial dining style, one which encouraged diners to share food. That all came to a screeching halt in mid-March thanks to Covid. In the age of social distancing, communal-style dining no longer seemed prudent and owner Brian Ruthsatz didn’t believe that the situation would right itself anytime soon. He made the difficult decision to put Rood’s original menu and concept to bed. “It wasn’t easy at the time, but I feel like I made the right decision now,” he explains. “Everybody thought Covid was going to be short and sweet and I just didn’t get that gut feeling.” Because the menu wasn’t conceived for take-out business either, Rood switched its focus to the carry-out bakery side of things. Later, a spirited late-night dessert and cocktail series called Pie Bar rolled out to much success. Next up for the Lakewood shop was a new brunch service, which also quickly drew an audience. “We always wanted to test out brunch and it really took off,” Ruthsatz says. To support the new brunch business – an eventual return to dinner service – Ruthsatz began a search for a new chef. He lucked into a meeting with Rachelle Murphy, who he describes as a kind of wunderkind in the kitchen. At just 22, the chef already had run a restaurant kitchen in Michigan and travelled extensively. A year later, Murphy is chefpartner and wowing customers with her creative, seasonal American dinner fare. Her menu shuns the ubiquitous flatbreads, tacos and burgers in favor of bold, fresh compositions like asparagus with creamy tarragon dressing, cured egg yolk and slivered almonds; spring onion gnocchi with creamy eggplant sauce; and pan-seared hog
snapper with celeriac puree and chili-glazed bok choi. Last spring, Rood discontinued the popular brunch in order to fully focus on dinner service – and as one can imagine, some customers felt slighted. “Our brunch was so crazypopular,” reports Ruthsatz. While Rood is not bringing back its classic brunch, it is launching a new “morning café” service that Ruthsatz is calling Café Rood. The space lends itself to brunch, he notes, and the bakery already is in motion at that time of day. “We do want to stretch the bakery’s wings and do some more unique café things,” he adds. Wednesday through Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., diners can come in to enjoy a sweet and savory lineup of chef-driven plates. Those items will be complemented by coffee service, bellinis, mimosas and cocktails. In addition to the world-class pie, there will be items like pear and amaretto tarts; grilled banana bread topped with whipped ricotta, fresh berries, roasted pecans and honey; apple and bourbon coffee cake; and a few salads like that asparagus stunner. “But the stars of the show are the toasts,” says Ruthsatz. Built atop a thick slice of grilled sourdough, the open-face tartines will arrive topped with combos such as lox, lemon-and-dill cream cheese, pickled radish and crispy capers; beef tartare with wholegrain mustard and crème fraiche; and one with whipped cream ricotta, mushroom duxelles, mushroom ragout and crispy mushrooms. This will be a full-service breakfast and lunch service that launches June 15.
Dante Boccuzzi to Open CountryThemed Bar and Restaurant in Downtown Willoughby Dante Boccuzzi is showing no signs of slowing down. Fresh off the smash opening of his downtown sushi bar and restaurant Goma – not
to mention his extensive portfolio of restaurants and clubs too numerous to list here – the prolific chef has announced an exciting new project. His restaurant group has just begun construction on a country bar and restaurant in downtown Willoughby. The location is the former Burgers-n-Beer building on Erie Street. The project is expected to take about five months. When it’s completed, Dukes ‘n Boots (4027 Erie St.) will join an already booming Willoughby bar and restaurant scene. “Erie Street has a lot of energy to it throughout the weekends and even the week,” Boccuzzi says. “There are a lot of places where people hang out: restaurants, bars. I think this is going to be a great addition.” Boccuzzi describes the project as a total gut job that will completely transform the property. A new four-season patio with garage doors on the rear of the building will practically double the footprint. A mural will be added to the side of the building. As for the food, Boccuzzi says that diners can look forward to a Southern-style menu starring fried chicken in many forms. “I was working on this fried chicken concept during the shutdown and it sprouted into this idea,” the chef explains. “It will be more than just a bar menu, although it is a bar and it will be a fun bar – a real casual place to hang out.” Boccuzzi says that the project checks a lot of boxes for him in terms of personal interest and consumer demand. “It’s a new market for me,” he says. “A lot of people keep asking me about doing something on the east
side. I guess you can say that this is me putting my foot in the water.” And don’t for one minute think that Boccuzzi will be slowing down anytime soon. He has another big project – a café and steakhouse – slated to join the CrossCountry Mortgage’s new headquarters in the Superior Arts District.
1942 Tacos and Tequila Now Open in Playhouse Square After sitting empty for close to two years, the former Puente Viejo space on Huron Road in Playhouse Square has new life. Fittingly, the new tenant is another Mexican restaurant, which is called 1942 Tacos and Tequila (1220 Huron Rd.). The original Rochester location appears to be very favorably reviewed since opening in 2021. The Cleveland location opened with the same menu. “The food is definitely authentic Mexican food,” says project manager Carlos Murillo. “We try to create a selection of tacos and we are introducing our quesabirria tacos as well. We’re bringing street corn and several different margaritas.” When Puente Viejo took the space over in 2016, they gave the 2,800-square-foot, 100-seat restaurant a fresh, modern makeover. In fact, there was little left for the new owners to do to get it ready. “When we took the space over, literally it was ready to open,” says Murillo.
dtrattner@clevescene.com t@dougtrattner June 1-14, 2022 | clevescene.com |
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June 1-14, 2022 | clevescene.com |
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Expires 6/30/22 • Must Present Coupon
Teddy Robb
The Music of Cream
Sat. June 4
Wed. June 8
Sat. June 11
America
The Zombies
Hard Day’s Night
Sun. June 12
Tue. June 28
Bluffett Jimmy Buffett Tribute
Beatles Tribute
Fri. July 1
ALSO COMING IN 2022
Sunday July 3 Saturday, July 9 Sunday July 10 Tuesday, July 12 Wednesday, July 13 Saturday, July 16 Friday, July 28 Saturday, July 30 Wednesday, Aug. 3 Thursday, Aug. 4 NEW! Saturday, Aug. 13 NEW! Wednesday, Aug. 17 Sunday, Aug. 21 NEW! Saturday, Aug. 27 Saturday, Sept. 3 Friday, Oct. 7
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Cordovas Jordan Rudess Dave Mason Todd Rundgren ABC Brett Dennan Keillor and Company Tinsley Ellis The High Kings The Abrams Steep Canyon Rangers Al Stewart The Wallflowers BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet Hayes Carll Marcc Nutter
AT THE GOODYEAR THEATER Get tix at goodyeartheater.com or ticketmaster.com
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| clevescene.com | June 1-14, 2022
Foghat
Don McLean
with special guest PAT TRAVERS
American Pie 50th Anniversary Tour
Thurs., Aug. 11
Fri., Sept. 2
Photo by Vanessa Heins
Pup.
MUSIC
METHODS OF MAYHEM
Toronto’s Pup took extra time in the studio to tinker with the tunes on its latest album By Jeff Niesel WHEN TORONTO-BASED INDIE rockers Pup set about making their latest studio album, The Unraveling of Puptheband, they couldn’t take the typical approach and leisurely go back and forth between their homes and the recording studio. Because of COVID restrictions, they had to isolate themselves. And not any studio would work. They chose to work out of a batfilled mansion in Bridgeport, CT with produce Peter Katis. During the five or so weeks that the band spent holed up at Katis’s studio/mansion, the band took a few more liberties than normal and incorporated new instruments like piano, synths and horns for the first time. Sarah from Illuminati Hotties, Kathryn from NOBRO, Mel from Casper Skulls and Erik from Remo Drive joined the mayhem. “We could record at all hours,” says guitarist Steve Sladkowski via phone from an Asheville, NC tour stop. Pup performs on Friday, June 3, at House of Blues. “We spent five weeks there and went more and more stir crazy as the process went on. Throughout the pandemic, and in the recording process when it was just the four of us, we learned that we were our own support network. We could experiment a little further and make creative choices that maybe we wouldn’t have been pushed to do in the past. That allowed use to have a natural growth in the songwriting. There’s a palpable sense of confident decision-making, and at the same time, the whole thing is just about to go off the cliff.”
Sladkowski estimates the band utilized about ten new instruments in the making of the album. “We had synthesizers and loops that we threw in and real horns and fake horns and different kinds of percussion and acoustic guitars, which, oddly enough, we haven’t used,” he says. “Peter [Katis] was the best kind of Yes Man. He was willing to try anything. If anyone had a crazy idea, he would say, ‘Let’s try it.’ He was also quick to say, ‘Oh, that’s not working.’ That open-mindedness and push and pull and not wanting to be worried about getting the perfect takes right away was great because we knew had five weeks of non-stop recording time.” The album begins with the rather primitive tune, the Daniel Johnstonlike “Four Chords,” a beautiful ballad that commences with nasally vocals and gentle piano that’s frankly out of character for the usually raucous band. The song eventually explodes with guitars and synths, but its somber beginning suggests The Unraveling of Puptheband isn’t going to be the typical Pup album. “That song came about in the eleventh hour before we went to the studio,” says Sladkowski. “A week before leaving last year, [singerguitarist] Stefan [Babcock] sent us an email, and it said, ‘A funny song for my friend.’ It was a rough recording of ‘Four Chords.’ We thought it was funny. We had it on the backburner throughout the recording session. Stefan went to bed early one night, and the three of us sat in the kitchen
PUP 7 P.M. FRIDAY, JUNE 3, HOUSE OF BLUES 308 EUCLID AVE., 216-523-2583 TICKETS: $25-$35, HOUSEOFBLUES.COM
on the main floor of Peter’s studio and thought, ‘What if we open the record with the song?’ When we pitched it to Stefan, he was like, ‘What the fuck is wrong with you guys?’ We had to convince him. Thinking about it now, I don’t think there’s any other way the album could open. It’s one of those happy accidents that happen when we’re recording.” With its brittle guitars and upperregister vocals, “Matilda” suggests the band’s approach to songwriting has evolved and matured. The song builds nicely on its pop-punk energy and shows the group has the ability to deliver accessible material. “Stefan’s guitar, which is the focal point of the song, was given to him by a friend in a moment of need back when we were touring all the time and not making any money,” Sladkowski explains. “We had a difficult show in Richmond, VA, and he had had a guitar break. This friend of ours from D.C. sold it to Stefan for a song, no pun intended. During the pandemic, we were all playing a lot of piano. I think Stefan felt guilty not playing the guitar that had so much meaning behind. He came up with that beat, and it made a great narrative to the song.” Babcock penned one of the album’s best songs, the shimmering
single “Robot Writes a Love Song,” in 15 minutes in the back of his car. “Stefan has always said that he wanted to write an earnest love song, and every time he did, he sounded like a robot,” says Sladkowski. “He flipped that idea on his head. Stefan has such an active brain in terms of songwriting and lyrics. Some of the stuff he comes up with, I’m in awe. I don’t know how he does it. It’s amazing.” With roots that go back a good decade, the band can now choose songs from four albums for its live show. Sladkowski says it’s a good problem to have. “We were laughing about this when we getting ready for the tour and thinking how interesting it is to have four records to draw from and figuring out what songs to play from each record,” says Sladkowski. “At the end of the day, the live show has been the four of us bringing it in terms of energy, and nothing has changed in that regard. There’s a little more attention in terms of lighting and staging. When we started the band, we didn’t have any ideas about that and didn’t think we’d be in a place where we could do it. A lot of this is new to us as a reality in terms of things we can do. We’re learning and growing and helping to evolve the show without sacrificing the energy and rawness that we have hung our hats on. I think we have found a balance.”
jniesel@clevescene.com t@jniesel June 1-14, 2022 | clevescene.com |
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Wallows. Photo by Anthony Pham
MUSIC PASSION PLAY
Members of the indie pop act Wallows turn their attention from acting to music By Halle Weber THE THREE TWENTYsomethings in the indie pop band Wallows initially got their start as actors. “Acting for me, felt like something that was fun and something that I was used to and something that, you know, brought me to L.A. I definitely had amazing times, and it’s still something I love, but, when I think of passion, I think of music,” says singer-guitarist Braeden Lemasters, a Warren, OH native, via phone from an Atlanta tour stop. Wallows perform on Saturday, June 4, at the Agora. The 26-year-old lived in Ohio with his family until he was 9 years old, at which point he moved to California and began his acting career. Not long after, he began his musical journey. “My dad has been in bands my whole life. So, I grew up listening to music and my dad playing music at local places around Warren. I always loved music, but I remember starting to really love music when he introduced me to the Beatles,” says Lemasters. “When I was about 10, I started to pick up the guitar a little ’cause he’s a fantastic guitar player and wanted to teach me. By the time I was 12, I was playing every day, writing songs in my room every day for hours.” At age 13, Lemasters began making music just for fun with singer-guitarist Dylan Minnette, whom he met in L.A., and the two immediately clicked. They practiced consistently for several years, cycled through a few band names and eventually settled on Wallows in 2017. When the indie pop trio began releasing music under that name, it was finally able to build a fanbase and a team to back it, as well as scoring a record deal with Warner’s Atlantic Records. For the first couple of years, Wallows had to schedule its tours, recording sessions and rehearsals around the band members’ individual acting schedules, including Minnette’s lead role on Netflix’s wildly popular drama series, 13 Reasons Why.
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In recent years, the band has focused its attention solely on propelling its music forward. “When Dylan’s show ended, we decided that we wanted to pursue the music full-time for a good amount of time. Cause we never had the opportunity to actually tour yearround or make songs or record all year round,” says Lemasters. “We’re always gonna balance it out. I think one of these years we’re gonna devote more to acting, or take a break from music, just so we can write more, or live more. It’s not something we feel like we have to do; it’s something we love to do.” The commitment is paying off in a big way. The band is fresh off its second Coachella performance slot. This time around, Wallows played the outdoor theater, which is the festival’s second largest stage. “I remember watching bands when I was a kid, like 15 in the crowd, [and thinking], ‘Damn, if I could play this stage someday, that’d be just unbelievable,’” says Lemasters. “Right before we walked out onstage, I had that thought. I was like, ‘Wow, walking out on that stage that I thought it’d be cool to play one day. Just being back there, seeing the people, having people sing the songs, it was great.’” Devoted Wallows fans have been enthusiastically showing up on the band’s headlining tour to sing along as well. During Lemasters’ phone conversation, he paused to say hello to starstruck fans who spotted him walking around Atlanta before that night’s show. “When we see people, and we get to talk to people, or we see people in line for our shows, it’s unbelievable,” says Lemasters. “We’re just in a really blessed position, so I’m really happy for all of our fans and so appreciative.” The trio pushes itself to think outside of the box to create new and
different music for fans to enjoy. Following 2019’s debut album, Nothing Happens, and 2020’s EP, Remote, which was written entirely virtually, Lemasters says the band was ready for a new approach when it came time to write this year’s sonically diverse sophomore album, Tell Me That It’s Over. “We wanted it to be spontaneous. We wanted it to be all over the place stylistically. We put a lot of thought and cohesion into our first album. We had all these songs, and we made this specific album with Nothing Happens. And then I think for Tell Me That It’s Over, we really wanted to let each song find itself. Like a big inspiration would be The White Album, the Beatles album. Like that. Kind of stylistically all over the place, but it all kind of works together,” says Lemasters. “We thought that was fun to put into a 10-song album ’cause it really makes each song feel like its own identity, which is really special.” After having admired his work with HAIM and Vampire Weekend,
WALLOWS, SPILL TAB 8 P.M. SATURDAY, JUNE 4, AGORA 5000 EUCLID AVE., 216-881-2221 TICKETS: $39.50-$45, AGORACLEVELAND.COM.
Wallows were excited to work with producer Ariel Rechtshaid on Tell Me That It’s Over. “I think we knew from the get that ‘I Don’t Want to Talk’ should be the first song that’s out from the album, because we felt it had the most kind of like Wallows identity, cause it’s kind of fast, and it has a nice riff. We all kind of sing it at certain points. So, we thought that was a great song to introduce to the world,” says Lemasters. “We went into the studio and [drummer-keyboardistsinger] Cole [Preston] laid down a drum beat, just for fun. Didn’t know what we were gonna do. There was no idea present. I just picked up the guitar, and somehow, the first thing I played was the riff. And then we all sang a melody, and then each of those melodies made it into the song. It literally just wrote itself, very quickly. I remember Cole — the first thing that he did was [the lyric] ‘Tell me that it’s over, tell me that it’s over.’ Like right off the bat, the first thing we wrote, it just became the single and the album title.” But not all of the tracks on Wallows’ sophomore full-length came about quite as easily. “‘I was listening to Harvest Moon the night before I wrote ‘At the End of the Day.’ So, the original idea had a very acoustic like Neil
Young-esque thing about it. But then it turned into like this synthpop song, which is hilarious,” says Lemasters. “When I started writing the song, I was kind of imagining myself in sort of a breakup situation, where you’re not actually breaking up with the person yet, but you fear that’s inevitable. The first half of the song was just written from a place of me pretending, ’cause I wasn’t in a relationship. But then, before the song was complete, I was in a relationship, and I did go through a breakup. I think the last half of the song, like from the bridge on, was all from a real place — which is really
interesting, to kind of have a song where, you haven’t finished yet, but it kind of happens in real time. So, the lyrics, they got more and more personal. And then I got to revisit some of the first lyrics and got to change those around to better reflect the situation I was in too.” The band shares the workload when it comes to writing, from both the musical and lyrical side. Lemasters feels connected to all the Wallows’ songs, even if he wasn’t the one writing the lyrics. “’Especially You’ is about being in a relationship with someone, that you feel like you’re kind
of sabotaging. You feel like you guys could be a great thing, but everything you do is making it weird. Some of my favorite Dylan lyrics are in there.” says Lemasters. “I think the song is about not wanting to feel that way and feeling that way around this person because it’s so great. The song is basically trying to say to let everything go and just be in the moment.” Wallows’ approach to writing each project is distinctly different. For the debut album, the band had fouryears’ worth of cohesive songs that it’d saved up. The sophomore album
was much more in-the-moment. “Tell Me That It’s Over, for the most part, is like a relationship album. Nothing Happens is more like growing out of your youth into adulthood,” says Lemasters. “We wanted [Tell Me That It’s Over] to be more sonically diverse. We just went with the flow. I think for our next album, we’re gonna go the opposite route. I think it’s gonna be more concise. But we wanted the second one to be kind of a little oddball that’s fun to listen to.”
time my father launched Cleveland International Records after leaving CBS/Epic Records and having just signed Ronnie Spector and released her first single, ‘Say Goodbye to Hollywood,’ on the label.” Popovich Jr. executive produced the album, which is dedicated to his late father, to former Agora owner Hank LoConti and to musician Kevin Kavanuagh. The musicians on it include Southside Johnny on
guitar, harmonica and lead vocals, Van Zandt on lead guitar, Billy Rush on rhythm guitar, Allan Berger on bass, Kavanaugh on keyboards and Kenny Pentifallo on drums. The horn section features Ed Manion, Eddie Marion, Bob Muckin, Richie “La Bamba” Rosenberg, Rick Gazda and Stan Harrison.
hweber@clevescene.com t@hweber Southside Johnny. Photo by Anastasia Pantsios
BLAST FROM THE PAST
Cleveland International Records releases live Southside Johnny album recorded at Agora in 1977 By Jeff Niesel SOUTHSIDE JOHNNY & THE Asbury Jukes have always had a huge following in Cleveland. They regularly played at the Agora Theatre in the 1970s, and one particular concert that took place in 1977 aired live on WMMS. Cleveland International Records will release that recording on CD this month and on vinyl later in the year. The new release will be Cleveland International’s second release in the CLE Rocks Series: Live from the Rock & Roll Capital of the World series. The first was the Georgia Satellites’ LP Lightnin’ in a Bottle, a live album recorded at Peabody’s Down Under in 1988. The Southside Johnny performance at the Agora was the group’s second outing at the venue in less than a year. Songs such as “I Don’t Want to Go Home,” Springsteen’s “The Fever,” “Havin’ a Party” and “Without Love” were already favorites with ahead-of-thecurve Clevelanders thanks to support from DJ Kid Leo and WMMS. In the new liner notes, Steven Van Zandt refers to WMMS as “one of the most important radio stations in history” and Kid Leo as “one of the most important DJs in history.” The set also includes “Say Goodbye to Hollywood,” a tune featuring singer Ronnie Spector. As a special bonus, Spector joined Southside Johnny on stage at the Agora to perform the Billy Joel song. Spector had joined the group in the studio when recording the track and
came to Cleveland to share the stage with the band. “Ah, yes…1977 — back when we were young and beautiful,” says Southside Johnny in a press release about the album, due out on June 3. “Well, at least Ronnie Spector was beautiful. We had a great show in Cleveland as usual, and Ronnie was spectacular. We may have been a little raw, but man, were we enthusiastic. It was a fun evening, and I hope you enjoy it as much as we did. I loved working with her, and it was a thrill getting to sing with one of your vocal influences. And yes, she was an influence. Her vibrato was something I stole to use in certain songs. Of course, once she walked on stage I was dead meat! The Jukes and I loved what [Cleveland International Records owner] Steve Popovich and Cleveland International were doing back then as a label, and I love that they’re now getting this live show out there for all to hear as part of the CLE Rocks Series.” “Southside Johnny & the Jukes are part of the musical fabric of Cleveland’s legendary rock scene,” says Steve Popovich, Jr., who currently runs the label his father launched. “The whole purpose behind this live series was to unearth some of the best live shows from Cleveland’s past as a testament to why Cleveland was and is the rock capital of the world. This show is pretty personal for me. It was recorded right around the
jniesel@clevescene.com t@jniesel June 1-14, 2022 | clevescene.com |
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LIVEWIRE FRI
Real music in the real world
06/03
Flume Flume (born Harley Streten) rose to prominence as a teenager after dropping his self-titled debut way back in 2012. In the two years that followed, Flume established himself as an international sensation thanks to his compelling live show and popular remixes of high-profile acts. With a new studio album, Palaces, just out, Flume comes to town tonight in support of the funk and electronica-driven release. The concert begins at 7 p.m. at Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica. Magdalena Bay and Chrome Sparks open. Consult the venue’s website for more info. 2014 Sycamore St., 216-861-4080, jacobspavilion.com. Halsey Multi-platinum, genre-bending singer-songwriter Halsey comes to town tonight in support of their incredibly well-crafted new album, If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power. Though many might consider Halsey a pop diva, the artist brings a punk rock energy to the stage. Expect a rousing, emotionally intense performance. The concert begins at 7 at Blossom. Beabadoobee and PinkPantheress open. 1145 W. Steels Corners Rd., Cuyahoga Falls, 216-231-1111, livenation.com.
Country superstar Kenny Chesney returns to Blossom. See: Thursday, June 9.
band’s Velvet Underground-like tunes have a haunted quality to them that should translate live. The concert begins at 8:30 p.m. at the Beachland Tavern. Consult the venue’s website for more info. 15711 Waterloo Rd., 216-383-1124, beachlandballroom.com.
SAT 06/04 SUN 06/05 Miranda Lambert & Little Big Town Country music superstars Miranda Lambert and Little Big Town bring their co-headlining Bandwagon Tour to Blossom tonight. Lambert has just released her eighth studio album, Palomino, a collection of twangy tunes that feature pop crossover potential. Little Big Town is still behind 2020’s Nightfall. The concert begins at 7 at Blossom. Check the venue’s website for more info. 1145 W. Steels Corners Rd., Cuyahoga Falls, 216-231-1111, livenation.com. Mess Esque Mess Esque features music and instruments by Mick Turner (of Dirty Three), and words and voice by Helen Franzmann (McKisco). The tour that brings the duo to the Beachland Tavern tonight represents the group’s first ever U.S. trek. The
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Modest Mouse Indie rockers Modest Mouse released their latest album, the experimental The Golden Casket, to wide acclaim last year. Produced with Dave Sardy and Jacknife Lee in Los Angeles and in Modest Mouse’s studio in Portland, the album “hovers in the liminal space between raw punk power and experimental studio science,” as it’s put in a press release. The band’s tour in support of the album arrives in town tonight; the concert begins at 7 p.m. at Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica. The Cribs open the show. Check the venue’s website for more info. 2014 Sycamore St., 216-861-4080, jacobspavilion.com.
MON 06/06 It Was Fifty Years Ago Today: A Tribute
to The Beatles starring Todd Rundgren, Christopher Cross, Joey Molland, Denny Laine and Jason Scheff A talented group of musicians that includes Todd Rundgren, Christopher Cross, Badfinger featuring Joey Molland, Denny Laine (founding member of the Moody Blues and Wings), and Jason Scheff (Chicago’s lead singer from 19852016) will pay tribute to the Beatles at tonight’s show at Packard Music Hall in Warren. Expect to hear the performers play hits from their individual back catalogs alongside selected songs from the Beatles albums Rubber Soul and Revolver. The concert starts at 8. Check the venue’s website for more info. 1703 Mahoning Ave., Warren, 330841-2619, packardmusichall.com. Thrice and Bayside These two veteran hard rock bands bring their co-headlining tour to House of Blues tonight. Thrice recently returned with the introspective new tune “Dead Wake,” a song that starts with soft vocals and a tender melody before venturing into more typical hard rock territory. Formed some 20 years ago in Queens, New York, Bayside is still touring behind 2019’s Interrobang. Doors open at 6:30. 308 Euclid Ave., 216-523-2583,
Rick Diamond, Getty Images
houseofblues.com.
TUE
06/07
Lord Huron Indie rockers Lord Huron arrive at Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica tonight in support of last year’s Long Lost, an album of beautiful downtempo ballads that’s received rave reviews. The concert begins at 6:30. Erin Rae opens the show. Check the venue’s website for more info. 2014 Sycamore St., 216-861-4080, jacobspavilion.com.
THU 06/09 Kenny Chesney While country music superstar Kenny Chesney is known for his stadium shows, the songwriter from East Tennessee also likes his amphitheater gigs. The jaunt that brings him to Blossom tonight is part of a special small hall summer tour. Chesney, the only country artist in the Top 10 of Billboard’s Top 25 Live Artists in 25 Years, performs at 7:30 tonight at Blossom. Carly Pearce opens. Check the venue’s website for more info. 1145 W. Steels Corners Rd., Cuyahoga Falls, 216-231-1111,
livenation.com. Adekunle Gold International Afropop star Adekunle Gold is considered an Afropop pioneer. Since releasing his first single “Sade,” a love song which samples One Direction’s “Story of My Life,” Adekunle has gone on to release four albums, including 2016’s Gold, which debuted at No. 7 on the Billboard World Albums Chart. His Catch Me If You Can — The Tour comes to town tonight. The concert begins at 7 p.m. at House of Blues Cambridge Room. Tickets cost $30. 308 Euclid Ave., 216-523-2583, houseofblues.com. The War on Drugs When indie rockers the War on Drugs played Cleveland in 2018, we wrote that the band successfully “toggled between raging walls of sound and somewhat calmer, more Americana-laced songs like ‘Arms Like Boulders’ and ‘Eyes to the Wind’ in delivering a great mid-summer show.” The group will likely be in good form again when it returns to town tonight. The concert begins at 6:30 at Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica. Lo Moon opens. Check the venue’s website for more info. 2014 Sycamore St., 216-861-4080, jacobspavilion.com. Wet New York-based Wet just released its third full-length album, Letter Blue. For the album, the group reunited with founding guitarist Marty Sulkow; the disc also features contributions from Toro y Moi’s Chaz Bear, Buddy Ross (Frank Ocean’s go-to keyboardist) and Dev Hynes. While possessing an edgy indie rock vibe, songs such as “Larabar” show off singer Kelly Zutrau’s soulful voice. A new EP features five new tracks created in the same sonic universe as their latest full-length. The group performs tonight at 8 at the Grog Shop. Hannah Jadagu opens. 2785 Euclid Heights Blvd., Cleveland Heights, 216-321-5588, grogshop.gs.
FRI
06/10
The Avett Brothers The Avett Brothers entered the mainstream with their 2009 major label debut, I and Love and You, and the North Carolina group has continued to be a major draw ever since. While they don’t have a new album to promote, expect them to draw a big crowd tonight. The concert begins at 6 at Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica. Consult the venue’s
website for more info. 2014 Sycamore St., 216-861-4080, jacobspavilion.com.
BA N D O F T H E W E E K:
Dave Matthews Band When Dave Matthews Band visited Blossom back in 2018, we wrote that the veteran jam band delivered a “thrilling, high-energy show that was anchored splendidly by a sprawling ‘Crush’ and a ‘Typical Situation’ that moved through several distinct parts. Expect something similar tonight when the band returns to the venue. The concert begins at 7:30. Check the venue website for more info. 1145 W. Steels Corners Rd., Cuyahoga Falls, 216-231-1111, livenation.com.
By Jeff Niesel
COMING SOON THU 06/16 Sammy Hagar & the Circle / George Thorogood Blossom, 1145 W. Steels Corners Rd., Cuyahoga Falls, 216-231-1111, livenation.com. TUE 06/21 New Kids on the Block Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, 1 Center Court, 216-420-2000, rocketmortgagefieldhouse.com. MON 06/27 The Chicks Blossom, 1145 W. Steels Corners Rd., Cuyahoga Falls, 216-231-1111, livenation.com. FRI 07/01 Nick Cannon Presents: MTV Wild ‘N Out Live Blossom, 1145 W. Steels Corners Rd., Cuyahoga Falls, 216-231-1111, clevelandorchestra.com. THU 07/14 Mötley Crüe and Def Leppard — The Stadium Tour First Energy Stadium, 100 Alfred Lerner Way, 440-891-5000, livenation.com. WED 08/24 Men at Work MGM Northfield Park — Center Stage, 10705 Northfield Rd., Northfield, 330-908-7793, mgmnorthfieldpark.mgmresorts. com/en.html. FRI 09/02 The Shins Agora, 5000 Euclid Ave., 216-881-2221, agoracleveland.com.
scene@clevescene.com t@clevelandscene
JAMES PEQUIGNOT MEET THE BAND: James Pequignot (vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards, piano, drums) INSPIRED BY GIANTS: Pequignot, who grew up in Richmond Heights before moving to Macedonia at age 15 got hooked on songwriting after his parents bought him an 8-track digital recorder. “I had been writing songs for a couple of years at that point, but after I got that recorder, I started getting into recording,” he says one afternoon from Dark Current Productions, the studio where he rehearses and records with the local indie band Terrycloth Mother. “My favorite bands at that time were Barenaked Ladies, which got me into wanting to be a songwriter, and They Might Be Giants, who made me want to do self-recording. I was 17 visiting my sister in Los Angeles, and I went with her boyfriend to see this documentary about Wilco and [2001’s] Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. That opened my whole musical world up.” A ROCKY START: While he was still in high school, he released his first album, Rockefeller. “It was terrible,” Pequignot says. “I listened to a bit of it not that long ago and had to turn it off.” Undeterred by that first attempt, he went on to release four solo albums between the ages of 15 and 25. “I’ll still put on the last one occasionally,” he says. Over the past 15 or so years, Pequignot has also played in local indie acts such as Emmet and the Singular. A CREATIVELY PROSPEROUS TIME: The songs for his new album, Memento Mori, first began to take shape in 2017. “I was going through a lot at the time — my dad died, and I got divorced and married again,” he says. “That’s all kind of in there. It was a creatively prosperous time.” He recorded most of the album at home. “I was doing stuff in the basement and would record a straightforward version of the song and then replace instruments with other things,” he says. “It ended up in some cool places.” WHY YOU SHOULD HEAR HIM: Album opener “Serious Moonlight” features brittle guitars as Pequignot sings softly on it, referencing the late David Bowie. Jittery synths distinguish “Cartoon Without a Caption,” and the sparse piano ballad “Is This Loss,” a song that’s loosely about
James Pequignot.
Sainteven Photos
his father’s death, puts Pequignot’s quivering vocals up front in the mix. Pequignot drew upon Hamlet and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead for “Tony Stark and Iron Man Are Dead (Schrödinger’s Dad).” My wife and I watched the Kenneth Branagh version of Hamlet and the Rosencrantz and Guildenstern film,” he says. “That was very much in our minds. It’s about seeing Tony Stark’s death face in Avengers and being affected by it emotionally. I realized it was syllabically the same. It’s a nod to all that.” The album closes with the somber “Burying the Dead.” “I did lean into the death stuff because it was on my mind,” says Pequignot when asked about that track. “I didn’t know where else to put that song. It’s the heaviest song. It’s unapologetically heavy.” Pequignot says a new album is already in the works. “I have a piece of work that has been in progress since 2007 called Baby Teeth, which is all piano compositions,” he says. “I have recordings of things in different states, and I’ve got a ton of other acoustic songs too. It’s been nice to feel some forward momentum with songwriting. This piece of work feels behind my current songwriting oeuvre, but all in due time.” WHERE YOU CAN HEAR HIM: iprefersadsongs.com. WHERE YOU CAN SEE HIM: James Pequignot performs with Gretchen Pleuss and Rob Kovacs at 7 p.m. on Saturday, June 11, at the Happy Dog.
scene@clevescene.com t@clevelandscene June 1-14, 2022 | clevescene.com |
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SAVAGE LOVE EXPENSED By Dan Savage Hey Dan: I’m a 31-year-old queer person living in Europe. I recently met a 46-year-old man. We were visiting the same city for work and met on an app and went on a series of amazing dates. We have a lot of similar interests and work in parallel fields. Now we’re planning a trip to see each other. It’s partly a work trip for him, but we will take a vacation together after the work part of the trip for him is over. To get to the point ... he makes a lot more money than I do. He has offered to cover as much of the costs as he needs to. I feel like I’m out of my league here! I really like him and he seems to really like me but I’m struggling to fight feeling like this is a “Daddy and His Boy” situation. Do I need to fight that feeling or lean into it? It’s not a dynamic he said he wants. I don’t mind if we agree that’s what we are doing. But I don’t want to fall into a daddy/ boy dynamic accidentally because of money and “status.” How do I date him like I would someone closer to my age and income? Knowing Economic Position Tenuous If the daddy/boy dynamic isn’t something you want (if it doesn’t turn you on and/or you worry it’ll make things weird), and it isn’t something he wants (assuming he didn’t just say that because he thought it was what you wanted to hear), then you definitely shouldn’t “lean into it.” Instead, you should handle the expense of this trip the same way committed couples with large income disparities split the rent. If you were making 50K a year and he was making 150K a year and you wanted to move in together but weren’t ready to merge your finances, you should pay a quarter of the rent and he would pay three quarters of the rent. Same should go for utilities, food and other expenses. But you’re not moving in together, KEPT, you’re just going on a vacation, so things can be a little looser. If you can afford to fly coach and he wants to fly first class, he should cover the difference between coach and first-class fares. If he wants to cover the hotel (a major expense), you should cover meals — maybe not all of them, particularly if he wants to eat in fancy places, but enough of them that it will be clear
to you, to him, to your waiter, and to the angels and saints watching from heaven that you aren’t a kept boy. (Nothing will make you feel less “kept” than pulling out your own credit card.) As the first part of the trip is for business and he would presumably be going with or without you, KEPT, you shouldn’t feel guilty about not paying for meals or the hotel on that leg — a hotel room he would be staying in with or without you, meals he would be putting on his expense account with or without you — but maybe treat him to a surprise excursion on that leg of the trip that you can afford (assuming either of you wants to leave your hotel room at this stage of your relationship). The kind of disparities you describe, in ages, incomes and the stages of your respective careers, are something almost all couples have faced — or in the case of income and career advancement, something most couples eventually face. But don’t spend too much time thinking about how you’re going to make this work over the long term; you just met, you really liked each other, and you’re both willing to travel long distances to keep seeing each other. That should be your focus right now, KEPT. If he wasn’t comfortable covering most of the expenses, he wouldn’t have offered to do that. He could’ve spent his vacation time in the city where you live instead. Of course, there’s a chance it was a trick offer — he offered to cover the expense of the trip expecting you would turn it down — and he’s going to punish you in some passive-aggressive way for taking him up on it. If that happens, well, you can go back to dating boys closer to your age and tax bracket and/or well-off guys who don’t play games.
Hey Dan: I’m a single and kinky gay man, doing mainly vanilla dating at the moment. Recently, I got dumped by a guy because I fessed up to being kinky. I also told him I believe in God. I realize that might appear contradictory, but I don’t see why both can’t coexist. He told me he can’t date anyone who’s sexually deviant who also believes in “fairies at the bottom of the garden.” Both were equally problematic for him: my belief in God and my kinks. I wasn’t expecting to be both kink-shamed and
God-shamed in the same breath. Are there such things as kinky Christians? Where can I find my tribe? Frustrated About Insultingly Terminating Hookup One of the kinkiest guys I ever met — dungeon-in-his-basement kinky, flogyou-until-you-are-screaming kinky — was an Episcopal priest. So yeah, FAITH, there are kinky Christians out there. But instead of sitting at home alone wondering where your tribe is, get out there and find your tribe. Get on kinky dating apps, go to leather/fetish events, date some nonvanilla guy, make some non-vanilla friends. If you find a welcoming tribe and it turns out you’re the only believer, so long as no one judges or shames you, FAITH, join that tribe. If you meet guys who have a problem with your faith, they don’t get to be a part of your tribe. As for the guy who called you a sexual deviant … what the hell does he think he is? Without deviation from the norm, there wouldn’t be “normal” gay guys for that asshole to date at all. Some of us may deviate more than others, FAITH, but that’s as true for gay people as it is for straight people.
Hey Dan: A man I very casually “dated” for ONE MONTH more than 15 YEARS AGO — a man I have maintained a friendship with ever since — tells his new girlfriends that I am his “ex-girlfriend.” This disclosure causes a lot of unnecessary awkwardness between whoever his current girlfriend might be and me. I’ve told him he shouldn’t do that because I was never officially his girlfriend. For 99.999 percent of the time I’ve known him, we’ve been friends, compared to the .001 percent of the time when we very casually dated. He says he doesn’t want to lie?! But it’s not a lie to say we are friends! I hate the awkwardness that it causes between me and the women he dates now. They never have a chance to get to know and trust me. Help me explain this to him so he finally gets it! Never His Girlfriend He gets it, NHG. The awkwardness he’s creating between you and his girlfriend-of-the-moment — the awkwardness you see as unnecessary
and avoidable — is exactly what he wants. Introducing you as his ex makes things awkward with his current, and his current girlfriend’s intuitive sense that he’s either intentionally or thoughtlessly making things awkward makes him a less appealing partner. He doesn’t want a commitment or anything long term, and instead of being honest about that, he’s weaponizing your existence to erect barriers between him and whoever he’s dating at the moment. He may not be doing it knowingly, but he’s doing it just the same, and it’s a shitty thing to do to a friend. So the next time he does it, NHG, object and object loudly: “Don’t be ridiculous! I was NEVER your girlfriend!” Hey, Everybody: The Southern Baptist Convention, the largest protestant denomination in the United States, has always been terrible. It was founded in 1845 by supporters of slavery and the organization is racist to its core still. Leaders, churches and preachers in the Southern Baptist Convention have also been the loudest anti-gay voices in the country for decades, and lately they’ve been loudly promoting the lie that gay and trans people — by simply existing — are somehow grooming children. Well, it turns out the groomers were in the building all along. In their buildings, in their megachurches, in their leadership — and they weren’t waving rainbow flags or reading from Heather Has Two Mommies. They were waving Confederate battle flags and reading from Leviticus. A blockbuster report released last week documents decades of sexual abuse committed by pastors and leaders of the Southern Baptist Convention. The same preachers who were accusing gays and lesbians of “coming for your kids” were the ones coming for your kids. And in them. As with all power-obsessed social conservatives, as with all Trumpers (and the Southern Baptist Convention is now a Trump property), every accusation — of corruption, of rigged elections, of sexual abuse — is an admission of guilt.
questions@savagelove.net t@fakedansavage www.savage.love June 1-14, 2022 | clevescene.com |
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